Leader of Fenta-Pill Pressing Operation Sentenced to More Than 21 Years in Federal Prison
ORLANDO, Fla. – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger sentenced Patrick Silfrain (41, Winter Garden) to 21 years and ten (10) months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. The court also ordered Silfrain to forfeit firearms used in the conspiracy, as well as jewelry, and over $600,000 in currency, which was traceable to the drug offenses. Silfrain had pleaded guilty on November 21, 2022. Jean Kesnor Choisil (51, Ocoee) and Kevin Jean-Gilles (41, Groveland) pled guilty to their roles in this conspiracy on November 22, 2022, and November 29, 2022, respectively. On August 31, 2023, Choisil was sentenced to six (6) years and 6 months’ imprisonment. Jean-Gilles was sentenced to 19 years and 6 months’ imprisonment.
According to court documents, Silfrain ran an operation that pressed pills to look like legitimately manufactured pharmaceuticals that actually contained fentanyl and fentanyl analogs – so-called “fentapills.” Silfrain operated numerous pill presses at the same time, each of which had the capacity to produce 5,000 pills per hour. During the investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) obtained evidence of numerous shipments of controlled substances and binding agents. Based on the total quantity of binding agents sent to the Silfrain operation, the DEA estimated it to be enough to press 3,760,000 pills.
On April 20, 2022, the DEA arrested Silfrain, Choisil, and Jean-Gilles and executed search warrants on multiple locations. During these searches, they recovered over 23 kilograms of fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, over a kilogram of methamphetamine, 17 firearms, 11 pill presses, and over $600,000 in U.S. currency, traceable to the drug operation.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Apopka Police Department. It was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
If you are aware of controlled substance violations in your community, please submit your anonymous tip through the DEA online Tip Line at Submit a Tip | DEA.gov. Concerns about prescription drug abuse or diversion can be reported to the DEA through this link: RX Abuse Online Reporting (usdoj.gov).
The DEA encourages parents, teachers, care givers, guardians, and children to educate themselves about the dangers of drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.JustThinkTwice.com , www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com, www.CampusDrugPrevention.gov, and www.dea.gov.
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